In Rome, there are really just two types of restaurants: pasta places and pizzerias, but these places vary in quality so here are some recommendations on where some good food can be found.

The first place was, in my opinion, the worst place we went to, but it still had quality food. Caffe’ Dominiziano is a restaurant in Piazza Navona that serves all types of food but still had a main focus of pizza and pasta. For food we ordered, we got chicken parmesan that was pretty salty and sort of dry but was otherwise good.

We ordered a margarita pizza as well, that had a sauce that was full of flavor, and it had outstanding cheese on it. Our table got an order of fettuccine with meatballs and red sauce, which could have been better. The sauce was okay and the meatballs didn’t taste like they were fresh. 

The only redeeming factor was the noodles; they had a nice texture to them. The last dish that we ordered was a plate of rigatoni. It had a slightly spicy taste with a good texture and the noodles were cooked perfectly. Overall, the food was good, just not great. The best part of the meal was the view we had from where we were seated.

Maestro Ciccia was the next place we ended up eating at. The food there was miles better than the last spot. It had a warm and inviting atmosphere that felt really cozy. The first dish at our table was a plate of lamb chops with potatoes.

The lamb was cooked perfectly, not overdone, not underdone. The potatoes had a great seasoning that added a salty flavor. The only complaint was that the lamb had a somewhat gamey taste to it.

The next dish was deep fried squid and prawn. The squid had a crusty breading on the outside and the meat was chewy. The prawn tasted slightly fishy and needed a sauce with it.

The last dish at Maestro was oxtail, which was cooked to fall off the bone. The gravy was perfect. The potatoes that came with it were crispy on the outside and had a soft consistency on the inside.

The last and best restaurant we ate at in Rome was called Flavio al Velavevodetto. It had vaulted ceilings and a very quiet atmosphere. The food was superb!  For the first course, the table got raviolis that had a nice red sauce with the noodles being to the right texture. The inside of the ravioli had a nice subtle taste. The table got a dish of carbonara with pig cheeks. The meat had a rich flavor that is comparable to the best bacon ever. The noodles were goldilocks, not under or over cooked but right in the sweet spot.

For places to get dessert, Rome is famous for its gelato so there are plenty of spots to get some. Not all gelato is created equal though so some is going to be better than others. One of the highest rated places to get gelato in Rome is called Frigidarium. I personally don’t know what makes it better than other places, but it tasted great.